Lightening
by Noizless
Summary: Naoki, the tree with roots to bind. Kaito, as calming as the sea itself. Miyako, a beautiful darkness. The trio never imagined the too-short summer would end the way it did. Darkness divides just as much as it infects and conquers.
1. 01 Awake

[01] Awake

Darkness.

Darkness.

' _Where am I?'_

 _...ki...oki..._

Her eyes slowly opened, first squinting before looking groggily around. She felt like she was falling, but it was slow and unlike any other fall she had experienced. Every time she let out a breath of air, bubbles formed as if she were underwater. She didn't remember anything, know anything, feel anything.

 _...Naoki...ti...wak..._

Slowly she felt herself turn, like gravity taking her feet and placing her gently on an unseen surface. She lifted her head, slowly looking side to side, still feeling a sense of sleepiness. Her eyes slid shut and she swayed unsteadily. An airy and light force kept her upright, seemingly urging her to stay conscious.

 _Naoki...it's time...wake..._

"Naoki...is that...me?" Her eyes slowly opened again. "Where...am I?" The force supporting her gave her a push forward. She took a step, a wave of black rising from the floor in a flock of wings and feathers. Her arms raised in a defensive maneuver to shield her face. The wave passed, revealing a large circular platform donned in shades of gold and yellow. Her arms lowered, enticing a quick survey of the newly lit area. She was awake and aware now.

 _Naoki, are you ready for the fight?_

"The fight?" Naoki watched in awe as a set of pedestals began rising in equal intervals around her. Upon one, a sword. Another, a staff. The third, a shield. The invisible hand pushed her forward to the sword. She picked it up gently and turned it over in her hand.

 _You have chosen the power of the warrior. Is this the power you seek?_

Naoki set it back, feeling like it wasn't the right choice. The process repeated with the staff, and the she reached the shield's pedestal. Picking it up, she felt a sense of decisiveness.

 _You have chosen the power to the guardian. Is this the power you seek?_

Naoki nodded, making her choice once again with a silent "yes". The shield dispersed into light.

 _Which power do you give up?_

Naoki was slightly confused, but the force guided her to the sword. Picking it up, the omnipresent voice spoke again.

 _You have chosen the power of the warrior. Is this the power you wish to give up?_

Naoki answered again with a silent "yes", and the sword disappeared the same as the shield. But rather than a sense of gaining, she felt a loss. The pedestals sunk back into the ground, a staircase of stained glass panels appearing one by one soon after. Her invisible guide pushed her toward the stairs. Upon ascending, the steps disappeared in the same fashion they appeared. Looking around revealed this new platform to be lit up in blue and purple.

 _There will be times when you must fight._

Naoki gasped as a group of black creatures emerged from the floor. In her open hand, a weapon appeared. Looking down to it, she took in it's key-like shape. Not knowing but understanding what to do, she attacked the creatures. She looked around after they were defeated, wondering if any more would show up. Instead, cracks began to spider web from the edges of the circle. Surprised, Naoki stepped back, her foot instantly sinking below the surface. Looking down, the darkness that had taken her foot began consuming the rest of her. She struggled, tugging at her limbs, trying to reclaim them from the force pulling her in. The darkness swallowed her, leaving her with a suffocating feeling.

Naoki continued thrashing before she realized the darkness had dispersed, leaving her sprawled out on yet another area lit up in shades of green. Slowly sitting up, the guiding voice spoke yet again.

 _The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes_.

Naoki stood, watching her shadow continue to extend even after she reached full height. She stepped back, the shadow beginning to protrude from the surface and take a form of its own. Naoki extended her hand, the key from before materializing in her empty palm. Without another moment's hesitation, she jumped at the new enemy. Giving and receiving countless blows, Naoki emerged victorious.

With this defeat, a door faded into existence. Naoki walked to the door, the light emitting from it getting brighter and brighter with each step until everything was a blinding white...


	2. 02 Breathing

[02] Breathing

"Naoki! Wake up!" My eyes shot open to a view of Kaito's emerald green eyes. He smiled his charming smile, the one that made every girl in our class swoon at the sight, and dropped a shell on the sand next to me. "I found another one, sleepyhead." I sat up and stretched my arms above my head. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind like I was forgetting something.

"Was that...a dream?" I scratched my head, staring off into the darkening sky. Kaito sat down on the sand beside me, counting out some shells in his hand.

"What are you mumbling about?" Kaito poked my cheek with a particularly pointy shell. I pushed his hand away and rubbed my cheek. "No one can hear you if you mumble all the time." He added before I could answer, going back to his previous his task.

"Whatever. I wasn't talking to you anyway." I pouted and pulled my knees up to my chest. The nagging feeling remained, as well as a sense of something darker. "Kaito, do you ever wonder about what it's like out there?" He stopped counting his shells and looked out to the setting sun.

"Well, I imagine the middle of the ocean is quite cold." He chuckled and flicked my head before speaking again in a more serious tone. "We'll see one day. We promised we would get out of here and explore the world together, remember?" I nodded. How could I forget? It was the only thing we talked about nowadays between homework and ice cream. Ever since a mysterious man in a black coat had appeared, our curiosity ate away at us.

We sat in silence a while longer, staring out into the distance with the sunset. Reds, oranges, pinks, and a tint of purple stained the sky as day turned to night, light giving way to dark. An uneasiness seeded itself in the back of my mind as if the current scenery were an omen with a cryptic meaning.

"Guys! Hurry up! The train is here!" An annoyed voice shouted from behind us, breaking the tranquility.

"Come on, Miyako is waiting for us." With that, he stood and made his way back toward where another girl was sitting on the stone steps leading up to the train stop. I jumped up, grabbing my couple of shells and running after him.

"Took you guys long enough." The piercing blue eyes of the girl named Miyako bore holes into us as we approached. We knew she hated the ocean, but every time we wanted to go, she agreed. I held out my few shells to her.

"Found these for you!" I smiled and dropped the shells into her hands as she reached out. Kaito gaped and held out his collection, not to be outdone.

"Well, I found more for you!" He also dumped his shells in her hands as well, grinning triumphantly.

"Ah. G-Guys, I can't carry all these." Her rough exterior diminished every time we gifted her with simple things like this. I smiled and pulled out a pouch I had bought a few days before, knowing an opportunity to present my gift would come.

"Then use this!" I held it open for her to place the shells in, which she did before taking the now full pouch. Turning it over in her hand, Miyako examined the purple, neatly beaded, star-shaped object.

"Naoki! What about me?!" Kaito exclaimed. I laughed slightly and pulled out a matching green pouch, which didn't remain in my hands long. Kaito grabbed the pouch, holding it up to the sun as if to catch the final red rays in the contrasting glass beads.

"I bought us all matching ones," I stated happily, holding up a yellow one for myself, glad to see my friend's excited faces. Miyako looked at hers a bit longer before standing, sliding the pouch into one of her jackets bottomless pockets.

"Come on, let's go before the last train leaves us," Miyako said as she turned and started walking to the train, cold demeanor reestablished so quickly it would shock anyone who didn't know her closely. Kaito and I followed her up the steps, running ahead in our usual ritual of a silently started race, and the three of us boarded the train to head back into Twilight Town.


	3. 03 Conscious

[03] Conscious

"Oi, Naoki, don't fall asleep again." I whacked the girl on her head with my book in an attempt to wake her. The hit was a bit harder than intended, causing her already unsteady body to fall sideways out of her chair. It was comical to watch until I realized that Naoki's head wasn't reappearing over the other side of the seat. I quickly dropped my book into my own chair as I stood to look over to her. "Erm, sorry, Naoki…" I heard her groan, but she didn't make an effort to sit up.

"Damn, Kaito, you really need to figure out how strong you are…" I slowly sat back down in my chair as she finally stirred and moved to sit up, waiting for the retaliation I knew was soon to come, since this happened on an almost daily basis. I glanced over to the silent Miyako, who was ignoring the two of us and actually working on the summer homework we agreed to do today. I looked back to Naoki's empty chair just in time to see her spring up from the other side, lunging at me. I let out a strangled noise of surprise as she tackled me from my chair, both of us (plus the chair) tipping to the floor.

The series of thuds caused Miyako to flinch and finally look up, an action I caught a glimpse of before a cushion smashed into my face. Naoki and her quick reflexes had managed to shift her into a position of her sitting on my stomach, pinning me to the floor, and grabbing the cushion off my fallen chair to attack me with. Miyako often called our fights too violent, but no one ever got seriously injured (or died) so we still carried on as usual.

I attempted to say something along the lines of "Naoki, you win this time" but the object smothering me muffled it into something incoherent. The cushion was starting to deny me air, and I began tapping the ground in a sign of submission. Naoki lifted the object away, smirking down at me in victory.

"I win!" The girl still sitting on me called cheerfully. I could hear Miyako's eyes roll as Naoki raised the cushion above her head like as if she had just won the Struggle and was awarded the trophy.

"You two, don't think that I'll let you copy my work if you don't get it finished on time." Miyako's pen clicked and workbook slapped closed as she stood, finished with her homework. Said pen and book were slid into a bag. "I'm going home now." She slung the bag over her shoulder and walked toward the door of our "secret hideout".

"Wait, don't go yet, Miyako!" I called, hoping to keep her from leaving just yet. She stopped, turning to look at me with an annoyed look across her face. I suddenly didn't know what I wanted to tell her, her look was just so menacing. "I'll walk with you."

Naoki had been quietly sitting up on my stomach until I pushed her off, which caused a sound of startle to emit from the previously quiet girl. I quickly stood and followed Miyako as she walked out with a huff. I heard Naoki mumble something as I left. If I had known what was to come, I would have stopped to listen.


	4. 04 Dynamic

[04] Dynamic

Kaito was, to put it frankly, annoying. He tried too hard to be "the glue that held us together". He didn't understand when I, the stereotypical silent lone wolf, needed times of peace and quiet. He had Naoki to talk to, to hang out with, why did he have to follow me everywhere? Ever since he came to the town, ever since he stumbled upon me and Naoki's secret place, ever since he disrupted our lives, he had been nothing but a nuisance.

I sighed, laying back on my bed and putting the book I was staring at for the past half hour over my face, giving up on reading in my tired, thoughtful state. Unfortunately, sleep refused to take me as well. So I became stuck in a state of sleepy sleeplessness, thought-provoking thoughts racing through my head. My eyes slid shut, darkness still not claiming my consciousness, and dreamt.

I imagined a little girl, one with hair as black as mine, and though I couldn't see her eyes to confirm, I knew it was me. She appeared to be crying, knees pulled up to her chest, face buried into them, and scrawny arms wrapped tightly around her scrawny legs. Her body shook with sobs, though no sound reached my ears. I stood, just watching the smaller girl, not moving to interact with her. Soon, another girl faded into my vision. This one had fiery red hair and piercing golden eyes. This one must be Naoki, who bore the same exact features, right down to the jagged scar running down the entire length of her left arm. This time, though, the scar looked fresh and bloody, as if it had just been inflicted.

She appeared to be talking to the crouched down girl, the smaller me, but still, there was no sound. Child Naoki continued to talk to me, to which the smaller me raised my head, cheeks streaked with the tears shed. Naoki continued on, smiling happily and comfortingly, though she was just as broken and sad as I was.

Even now, I never understood how someone feeling the same pain as I, if not worse, could still smile and shine so brightly. Her hand extended, a hand that once I took, would latch on to me and never let go, forming an unbreakable bond. No matter how many times I lashed out at her, hurt her, made her feel worse than dirt, she still stayed. Naoki had become the sole presence my life depended on.

Into my vision of just us, a silver-haired boy emerged, wedging himself into our bond like a dull ax that can't quite severe all the muscles in a limb. Behind his brilliant emerald eyes, I saw an ulterior motive. His aloof nature disguised a monster lurking in the shadows. He smiled like Naoki, but it didn't hold the same light as hers.

Then and now, I made a vow. A vow to always keep Naoki away from evil. A vow to never stray from her side. A vow to rid us of any and all nuisances.

 **. . .**

I awoke from my dream-slash-flashback, more irate than before. The last thing I wanted to see in my dreams was that invasive pest. I rose, book falling into my lap, and stared out the window. I had slept longer than I thought; dawn was spreading its pinks and yellows across the sky to the east. It was a close resemblance to Naoki's eyes, how her red hair would reflect in the golden iris once the sun hit her at just the right angle. The sunrise was always more pastel, though, too dull to be used as a proper reference to the fiery-haired girl.

Naoki would be here soon. It was usual for her to show up early in the morning on our free days and drag me off somewhere for a breakfast our parents would definitely protest. I stood, stretching my arms above my head to relieve the pressure building up in my joints. And as if she had the greatest timing in the world, she threw open my bedroom door just as I had finished tying back my sleek black hair.

As per usual, we took off for the nearest convenience store for a variety of ice cream and cheap pastries. Over the years, the clerk lady was so used to our patronage, she could name off every item we bought without even looking.

 **. . .**

A/N: So, I have a big plan for this story! I'll be focusing on it now, rather than trying to write a million things at once. I'll hopefully be updating more often! Please stick around to see more of Naoki, Kaito, and Miyako's adventures!


	5. 05 Enthrall

**[05] Enthral**

If we had known our peaceful, meaningless life was going to be turned upside down, we may not have gone out that day. Or, rather, maybe we would have laughed at the thought and gone out anyway. We were kids, and we believed fate had no leash on us. Anyone who could "predict the future" was a loon.

If only we had truly known what Miyako would do. If only we had known what Kaito was to set in motion.

If only we didn't live in our small, small world...

 **. . .**

"Hey, did you see that?!" Kaito jumped, his large frame shuddering as he pointed up to an empty window. He was the tallest among us, but also the biggest scaredy-cat. Miyako crossed her arms and looked at the window.

"There's nothing there, Kaito." She huffed, looking back down to her notebook. He still had shifty eyes between the two of us and the old mansion.

"Guys, do we really have to do our report over the mansion? I overheard Hayner, Pence, Roxas, and Olette saying they were writing about the mansion, too." He fidgeted nervously. "How about we go, um...count how many cats there are in the square?"

"You wimp, there's nothing here to be scared of." I lightly punched him in the arm, but from the corner of my eye, I swear I saw a flash of white in the very same window he was scared about. I heard Miyako huff in annoyance once again.

"Naoki's right. There's nothing here, so let's go to the library." Her blue eyes stared down the two of us, telling us there was no arguing against her. The taller boy and I nodded in unison, met with a similar nod from Miyako before she started walking back down the path, away from the mansion. I followed behind her as Kaito paused to look back at the eerie structure. I was expecting to hear him call for us to wait or even a similar sound of surprise, but when I looked back, he was trailing solemnly behind us.

I had growing doubts about the mansion, and Kaito was flat-out scared of it, it made me wonder what had Miyako so hung up on it. As we silently trudged along behind our fearless leader, Kaito came to walk beside me.

"Naoki...does something seem...off?" the taller boy whispered under his breath, hunching his shoulders and lowering his head to reach the quietest voice he could manage for only me to hear, as if there were ears everywhere waiting to pick up the tiniest sound. But I knew what he was meaning, and I knew there were only two ears that he didn't want hearing his words.

I nodded, glancing toward the girl walking before us. She stood and walked with such a straight posture, many confused it and her silence for the behaviours of a snob. She was definitely confident in what she did, but introverted nonetheless. She spoke only when necessary, and avoided conversation otherwise. She was a beautiful creature; one that many didn't try to understand. But something besides ignorant comments and avoided looks had interrupted her usual demeanor. Dark circles under her eyes had become more prominent, her steps had gone from graceful and light to heavy and seemingly reluctant, and she grew increasingly insistent on getting into the old mansion.

Kaito lowered his eyes, a visible worry spreading over his face. "I fear the coming storm," he muttered softer than before, and then stood up straight and continued walking as usual. Somewhat shaken by his sudden change of attitude, I looked up to him. He was back to his normal aloofness, staring at passing trees as if he had never said a word. I frowned, contemplating his words, but said no more as the three of us passed from the mysterious forest into the empty alleyway of our home.

 **. . .**

We had departed there at the gap in the wall, Miyako stating that she needed to study in peace and quiet, and all but ran off before me or Kaito could get a word in edgewise. Kaito had realized the time and took his leave in order to make it back in time for his home's curfew. And so I was left with nothing more than a weary feeling and chill down my spine as the shadowed wind grew stronger.

Upon reaching my own home and passing up dinner, I flopped onto a pile of clothes lying discarded on the floor, lacking the energy needed to reach the bed 2 feet away. I couldn't help but think back to Kaito's statement earlier. He usually didn't speak figuratively, nor did he have an expression other than his spaced-out stare. I had a feeling deep in my gut that things were about to take a turn for the worse.


	6. 06 Focus

[06] Focus

I don't remember much of my mother.

No, that's not correct.

I don't remember much of anything except my mother.

I came to Twilight Town when I was only 9. And all I knew was my mother's warm smile and my father's sad eyes. She disappeared one day, and the next I was in front of an orphanage in a strange new world.

At first, I was numb, completely indifferent toward my situation. My presence in the orphanage was nothing more than that of a ghost; someone ignored, avoided, someone who made jubilant conversations become hushed whispers when they entered the room. I didn't speak a word, even when spoken to or asked a question. The houseparents believed me mute, though the residential doctor had told them there was no visible damage to my vocal cords or anything physical that should inhibit my speech.

The first time I spoke at that house was when I told the houseparents I was leaving. That was after seven years of absolute silence. My voice broke and cracked, my throat felt itchy and dry. I almost felt like I had forgotten _how_ to speak.

" _I'm leaving now...goodbye..."_

After such simple words that had brought an avalanche of anxiety down on me for the first time since arriving at that orphanage, I left. I didn't take anything with me; I had nothing of great importance.

I had no plan.

I had no munny.

I had no one to turn to for help.

But...

I could suddenly breathe.

It felt like, walking out those doors, I had opened a whole new part of me that I hadn't had access to in a long time. I had left behind the prickling numbness and regained curiosity, wonder, joy, excitement, and every other sense of positivity one could think of.

It was shortly after this that I met Naoki and Miyako. It's a funny story, actually.

Having no munny and no home, I was, of course, starving. That particular day, I had managed to find a part-time job hanging posters for the Struggle tournament that had been coming up. Unfortunately, hunger plus exhaustion plus working in the summer heat lead to me fainting in a less traveled back alley. Looking back now, I don't know why I was hanging posters in an alleyway, but I was. And by some stroke of luck, I was found by these two girls around my age; Naoki, with eyes the oddest colour of amber I had ever seen, and Miyako, who held an immensely intimidating presence in such a small body.

The first words I remember from them are, " _Hey, you're not dead, are you?"_ Naoki asked that. She was crouched next to me, her face right above mine, while Miyako stood back, arms crossed over her chest and a scowl across her face.

From that point on, it seemed that Naoki would intentionally seek me out, usually making sure I had eaten or to tell me about more part-time jobs she had heard of.

Honestly, it was nice having someone _that_ worried over my health and wellbeing without looking at me like broken merchandise. I never realized I was missing this sort of interaction and care before meeting these two. I became dependant on them, even while Miyako gave me the cold shoulder. They were a pair, and I accepted them both into my life. It's like when they say two sides to the same coin. They were complete opposites, but one was not whole without the other.

"I never wanted to drive a wedge between them or separate them. I guess I wanted to be a third wheel." I breathed out slowly, not having recalled this part in my memories in a long time. This was also the longest I had spoken in a single conversation, though I was the only one speaking. _She_ sat across from me, pale eyes unwavering, waiting for me to continue.

 **x** **x x**

I had returned to the mansion in the middle of the night, unable to get the ghostly image from the window out of my head. And as if it had been waiting for me, the gate was unlocked, and even slightly ajar, when I approached.

The gate, garden, mansion, and first rooms of the mansion showed clear signs of age and wear, but there was a certain level of cleanliness that suggested something moved around the abandoned building regularly. While there were no visible foot tracks, there were clear paths between debris and broken furniture. My cheap-and-near-dead flashlight guided me to the left side of the double staircase. At the top, another door was open just the right amount to catch my attention, and through it was the brightest white I had ever seen. It was a sharp and startling contrast to the dirty and deteriorating mansion, it seemed almost like another world.

Inside, two figures awaited. One was a small blonde girl, hand gliding over a spiral-bound book holding what looked to be a crayon. She didn't look up, even as the door creaked loudly to announce my entrance. The other, though, was the same ghost that had brought me back to this mansion. Everything about her looked to be floating, and she appeared to be emitting an almost-transparent blue light. Startled by my discovery, my light fell from my hand, and a distinct crack could be heard from the trusty device. Yet that was all I could do. I was scared, but at the same time, I had a strange feeling of calm wash over me. Two sets of pale blue eyes bore into me but there was no malice behind the stares.

I let the door swing shut behind me, and the click of the latch sounded like my fate clicking into place that night.


	7. 07 Grounded

[07] Grounded

"Miyako, do you ever wish you had never met?"

Her sudden question caught me off guard. She also seemed equally surprised, as she quickly spun to face me and wave her hands in front of her.

"It's not what you think! I was meaning, like, if what had happened hadn't happened than we wouldn't have met. So what happened happened cuz we were s'posed to meet, y'know? And I was wondering if you ever wished that hadn't happened." Naoki danced around 'what happened' in her attempt to clarify herself and avoid speaking directly about the sensitive matter. She was so hung up on the whole 'fate' and 'destiny' thing that it seemed to plague her mind in the worst way. Rather than be happy that she was with me now because of it, she worried that she had indirectly caused what happened to me when we were younger.

It was times like these, when it was just the two of us, that she seemed the most sad.

I sighed, standing from the sand in which we sat. Naoki looked up at me, her beautiful, wide amber eyes glistening the the setting sun. I held out my hand to help her up, the corners of my lips turning up into a rare smile I saved just for Naoki at moments like these.

"Where are we going?" She questioned, though she was already taking my hand and pulling herself to her feet.

"Somewhere," I curtly replied, lacing my fingers with hers and leading her back to our 'secret entrance' to the beach. It was just a parting in the palms and dense undergrowth that they hadn't yet cleared to make more room on the main beach. 'Our beach' was a small segment of sand only accessible by swimming around an outcropping of rock off the main beach or by going through the palms by the train platform. Naoki had discovered it not long ago, before we met Kaito, and it still remained the one place where he wasn't.

We climbed the railing to the platform at the end of our short walk, yet I headed back to the main beach rather than the train. I could imagine Naoki's quizzical look, but she was soon striding along beside me once again. As much as I wanted to, I didn't take her hand again.

The beach in Twilight Town was, oddly enough, the only beach. We weren't sure how that was possible, because to our knowledge and exploration, Twilight Town was like a lonely island. Of course, we had never been to the edges. The town itself had too high of walls and buildings, the only crack being the one in the back alley, leading into the dense forest and mansion. The woods surrounding the mansion were impossible to navigate and one risked completely losing themselves out there. The only way to look over the walls and buildings was Sunset Hill, but it just showed more water and train tracks disappearing into the distance. Though we never actually saw any trains leave Twilight Town.

We continued our journey in silence. The crash of the waves was the only sound around us, as the setting sun and dropping temperature drove many back to the station and town. The water washed up against the shore, bringing in new debris and taking away the old. A constantly shifting scene. Much like fate-

Naoki's sudden squeal of excitement cut off my inner monologue. The end of the beach had reached us sooner than I realized, along with what I came to show Naoki. As I expected, she began jumping up and down, flinging sand out from under her feet. I sidestepped to avoid the majority of the spray and her flailing arms, but my heart still fluttered at the sight of this seventeen-year-old girl so overjoyed a crudely made little raft. It was moments like these that I knew I loved her. For the me who had everything, she was truly the only thing I wanted.

"Oh my god, Miyako, you didn't! How'd you do it?! _Oh my god!_ " She started to blubber incoherently, though I'm pretty sure most of it was just random noises because she couldn't find the words. She propelled herself across the sand the rest of the way, leaping on board the tiny dingy. I watched as she spun around the mast of the raft, ducking under the double-layered-sheet sail to fully inspect the craft. "It's amazing, Miyako!" She shouted, finding her voice once again.

I smiled warmly and joined her atop the raft, sitting on the edge with my toes brushing against the sand. Naoki dropped down beside me, wood creaking beneath the sudden shift in weight.

We spent the night staring at the stars and talking about anything and everything. It was just us in the world, and that's where I wanted to stay.

"Miyako, let's go get something to eat!" The giant beside me whined. I merely clicked my tongue and quickened my pace. All in vain, of course, since Kaito's natural stride was a million feet each step. He'd become much more clingy since the incident at the mansion, and as usual, it was annoying as hell.

"Go get something yourself," I scowled, not paying him a glance as I continued to gradually increase pace. I needed to get back to the mansion, but I couldn't do it with this _idiot_ tailing me.

"But I don't have any munny," he moped quietly. How was this kid even able to survive this long with his spending habits? I swear if he didn't have people watching over him, he'd be dead by now. Naoki was the same way, though, impulse buying every little knick-knack or snack food. But if she would let me, I'd give her whatever she wanted. Kaito on the other hand...

"Go find someone else, than. Just stop bothering me, I'm busy." I waved my hand, trying to shoo the bug that was pestering me. He really didn't catch a hint, did he? I hadn't seen Naoki since we parted at the station early this morning, and while I wasn't sure what she was doing or where she was, I was in need of a recharge. But for now, I _really_ needed to lose the giant and get to the mansion.

"But Naoki's busy with the part-time job she picked up recently," Kaito complained, making me freeze. Job? She hadn't told me about that. Hadn't even mentioned it. In fact, she didn't tell me anything of what she would be doing today, like she usually does before we part after hanging out. My mind started racing with what this revelation implied. Was she becoming independent of me? Had she found someone else to provide for her and the job was just a cover?

The falter in my step hadn't just affected me, but the idiot walking behind me as well. I heard the shuffle of steps but realized all too late, and soon enough I was kneeling on the ground, my hands supporting me from completely somersaulting down the declining road. Kaito's larger frame was hunched over me in an awkward arc, like he was trying to keep from crushing me, but like he was trying to not touch me period.

"Sorry...sorry, Miyako..." he mumbled, trying to stand back up without using me as a support. His breath ran down my neck, irritating the hell out of me, and his stuttering suggested his stupid face was probably red with something besides embarrassment.

My vision flashed black for a moment and a chill ran down my spine. Without a second thought, I turned over and shoved one foot into his stomach, using the hill and haphazard positioning to my advantage, and launched him over my head to land on his back. There was an audible _thud!_ as he hit the ground, followed closely by a mixed groan of surprise and pain. I rolled and was soon on my feet once again, glaring down at the boy on the ground. I huffed sharply and turned on my heel, leaving the bug to his own devices as I took my opportunity to finally lose him. I was going to need a major Naoki-recharge once I got back.

At the mansion, my slim frame easily slipped between the bars of the main gate. From that point, everything seemed to happen in a haze. I'd walk to the building, go inside, climb the staircase on the right to a dilapidated study, and from there it truly began. That part was always the hardest to remember, where it seemed the fog was thickest. It always felt like I was sleeping, but was just lucid enough to be aware of my surroundings.

" _The door is almost open."_ It was a bodiless voice, seeming to echo in my head rather than reach my ears. It's words were always fleeting, leaving a burning imprint yet the voice itself seemed so distant. It gave me chills, but in a strangely satisfying way. I felt no fear, no horror. I didn't really feel anything. I trusted this voice, these words, because I knew it would give me what I wanted as long as I gave it what it needed.

I wanted Naoki, and it needed a body.


	8. 08 Hearing

[08] Hearing

 _...ki..._

It was that weird dream again. The one where I picked up that giant key. I reached up with my hand, brushing my fingers against something just out of reach.

 _Naoki..._

I opened my eyes slightly and glanced around. Rather than darkness, I saw a window with light streaming through.

 _...ke up, Naoki!_

Rather than floating down on nothingness, I felt fabric on my bare legs and springs supporting my back.

 _..or the...f god, Nao...!_

And rather than the tranquil hum of a disembodied voice calling my name softly, there was banging and shouting.

" _We're eating without you, Naoki!"_

My eyes snapped open as the knocking stopped, and I jerked upright. My head smacked against the lamp I was just groping, a high-pitched yelp sending me back onto my back to rub my soon-to-bruise forehead.

Once I was over my rather rude awakening, sheets were thrown off, day clothes thrown on, and I was soon racing through the house to the kitchen.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" I semi-shouted, hopping around as I attempted to put on both shoes at the same time and slip my bag strap over my head. My mother simply sighed and set a small container of oatmeal on the counter, which I grabbed and stuffed into the bag.

"That's a surprise," my dad playfully remarked, though he didn't look up from the notebook open before him. I darted for the door, only to poke my head back in a moment later to shout a hasty 'bye, love you' before taking off into the street on my bike.

I'd found a small part-time job, if you could call it that, helping our little post office deliver letters. They said something like helping the neighborhood kids get 'work experience', but really it was probably just for cheap labor since kids would be happy using a few munny just to buy ice cream and sweets. I, on the other hand, had a plan. If we were going to get out of this town, we needed the munny. I already had a little bit saved, obviously, but occasionally that ice cream addiction got the better of me, so it wasn't as much as it should've been.

Even before we found Kaito a couple years ago, Miyako wanted to leave. I always thought it was from what happened with her father, but she never mentioned it in her reasoning. Not that she really explained her reasoning. She wanted to leave and I wanted an adventure.

After Kaito showed up, he would describe features of a place we had never seen, though he wasn't sure where it was either. That's really what stirred up our wanderlust, though I didn't exactly want to go to another little island surrounded by water as he described it. But that was the foothold we needed, confirming that there were places besides Twilight Town in this god-forsaken world.

Miyako began to change after we met Kaito. As he told stories of a sea of green, she grew more and more insistent on leaving. The only thing that didn't change...was Kaito. She never mentioned him in our 'escape plan'. And now that she's actually gone and made a raft without saying anything to either of us, and only showing me when Kaito wasn't there, I worried. I had known it all along and didn't want to believe it. Miyako didn't like Kaito, and there was nothing I knew or could do about it.

" _Naoki!"_ Again with shouting my name, but this time rather than a head-lamp collision, it was almost bike-person. I felt the wind halt to my left as I flew past Hayner and his group, who all walked side-by-side so really the only person in danger of being hit was the unlucky duck walking on the far right of the group, Roxas. Reflexively, I had still slammed back on my pedals, back wheel skidding around at the sudden friction and leaving a black streak across the cobblestone street.

When I looked back up, Hayner, Pence, and Olette were standing around a fallen Roxas, all stunned from his near-death situation. Horror filled my mind as it dawned on me that I almost was the criminal in a hit-and-run. I leapt off my bike and ran back up the sloped road with it at my side. Everyone was slowly coming down from their slow-motion replay of events, yet Roxas still sat on the ground, probably replaying his _life_ as he almost died. Or was at least almost severely injured. Dropping my bike rather than using the kickstand, I held out my hand to the fallen boy.

"S-sorry 'bout that," I stammered, only realizing now that I had been holding my breath. Roxas stared at my hand for a moment, still dazed, until Hayner and Pence pulled him to his feet. My untouched hand fell back to my side. It seemed then that the silence was broken.

"Roxas, are you alright?" Olette asked, a bit delayed but better than never, I guess. The boy nodded, finding his words again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That was close, though," he commented, laughing slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Hayner grabbed him around the shoulder and started shaking him violently, surely to injure him if he wasn't already.

"Dude, you almost _died_ there!" He seemed more excited about the scenario than actually concerned for his friend.

"Yeah, it was like _zoom!_ and then _waahh!_ And we were all just like _woahhhh_ ," Pence threw in some helpful commentary from the group's point of view, deepening my guilt for my careless biking. Figuring I was about chopped liver at this point, I picked my bike back up to prepare my departure.

"Sorry again. See ya guys." I waved slightly, receiving half-hearted farewells as I wheeled my bike around and swung one leg over the seat. As I was about to kick off, Roxas stopped me.

"Wait, Naoki, can I talk to you really quick?" I looked over as he came to stand beside me, his friends continuing on their previous walk with confused whispers and glances. I was equally confused, if not more, as I had never actually had a conversation with the blond boy. He was just a kid from school, and even my recollection of that was pretty hazy. Like he wasn't always there.

"Er, I have to get to work, but we can walk and talk," I suggested, ignoring the fact that I was already running late before the run-in. Curiosity killed the cat, y'know, but I was still determined to make it to my part-time job. Roxas looked as if he was debating momentarily, but nodded in agreement.

We walked in awkward silence for a few minutes, like he wasn't actually sure what he wanted to say. Of course, I didn't know what to say either since I had no idea what he wanted with me.

"I saw you at the mansion," he finally said. His tone was a bit indescribable. Not quite accusatory, and just a little hint of confusion. I gave him a quizzical look. I had only been to the mansion once, that time when Kaito saw the figure in the window. But Roxas wasn't there, so how could he have seen me there?

"Yeah, I went with Miyako and Kaito the other day. We were gonna write our research paper on it. Or, more specifically, the ghost inside," I replied. Roxas shook his head. I thought he was going to disapprove of us copying their topic for the paper.

"No, I saw you inside the mansion. I wanted to ask about the girl with you. In the white room." I began to wonder if I really had hit him. Or was he this crazy before?

"I never went inside. The gate's locked."

But he went in, supposedly. And he saw at least two people, apparently. Or he was just delusional. My statement seemed to stump him. Only momentarily, though, as he soon stepped in front of my bike and grabbed the handlebars, bringing me to a sudden halt.

"Come with me," he demanded, locking eyes with me. This kid was dead serious. And I was still a dead cat that may as well skip work at this point of tardiness.

I left my bike chained to a lamppost on a side street while Roxas and I headed toward the hole in the wall and the forest beyond. The walk to the mansion felt shorter than ever, anticipation gnawing deep inside. As the two of us approached the very obviously locked gate, Roxas picked up and arm-length stick and stood before the giant lock. Maybe this kid really was a bit insane, and that's why I had a hard time remembering him.

"Roxas...that's a stick..." I remarked hesitantly. He glanced over at me, and for a moment I thought I saw his face twist like he was remembering a painful memory. But it was fleeting as he looked back to the gate and lifted the stick in both hands to point at the lock.

The air prickled around us and I held my breath, knowing _something_ would happen, but not sure _what_. A few silent moments passed, which turned into a minute of us standing and staring expectantly at the still-locked gate. Roxas exhaled in frustration and mumbled, dropping his raised arms.

"It worked last time."

I sighed. I knew this feeling, and I knew what he was trying to do. But what was he trying to do? It was odd, something I couldn't explain, but _I knew_.

"Lemme see," I said, reaching for the stick. He complied without question, handing over the object and taking a step to the side. I stood before the gate and let out a determined huff, holding up the stick in my right hand. I stared into the abyss of the seriously over-sized lock before closing my eyes.

And like in my dream, I reached out not with my physical hand, but mentally. Grasping in the dark for something. When my 'fingers' brushed against something, I didn't stop. I latched on, and as soon as I did, the weight in my palm multiplied. Opening my eyes revealed what I had only seen once in the dream: a giant silver key.

Except it was real this time.

"Naoki..." Roxas mumbled in amazement, but also with a tinge of hurt. I was amazed, as well, as I turned the key over in my hand, inspecting it. It was a forgotten dream to me just this morning, and honestly I wondered if I was still sleeping.

"Woah," was all I could finally say. Roxas snapped out of the trance first, pointing at the lock.

"Now try unlocking it," he instructed. I shrugged slightly and pointed the key at the lock. May as well, right? Almost instantly, a ball of light formed at the tip of the key, shooting into the depth of the keyhole. The lock began to glow and, soon enough, faded away. The light vanished and the gate creaked open. Without another word, the boy that brought me out here in the first place stepped forward to enter the forbidden grounds. I looked down at my hand, only to see that the key had been replaced with the stick once again. Feeling a slight attachment to it now, I twisted it into the strap of my bag and followed Roxas.

The mansion was a lot creepier up close. Inside, everything seemed to be broken and covered in dust, but you could pick out very obvious paths around rubbish piles as if someone lived there but would rather cope with the mess than actually clean it. It reminded me of my own room, except my paths were less noticeable and I still tripped over piles of magazines every other day.

I, never having been inside an abandoned anything, wanted to sate my curiosity by looking around, but Roxas was already making his way to a staircase on the left. Not wanting to be left behind, I hurried after him as he ascended to the second floor. There was a room around the corner at the top, the door slightly ajar to show a glowing white room compared to the gloomy ruin of the surrounding hallway. As we approached there was a voice. It sounded like a one-sided conversation until we were standing in the doorway, then you could barely make out a mummer in the silence.

Roxas pushed open the door, and we were met by two pairs of icy blue eyes. At one end of a long dining table sat a small blonde girl in a plain white sundress, a sketchbook and pastels scattered across the table in front of her. At the other end was what looked like a ghost, yet that wasn't the most chilling part. I felt like I was looking into a heavily filtered mirror. Everything about her was some shade of blue, but her features very closely resembled mine on first glance. But I blinked, and she was gone. I stared at the chair she had been sitting in, mouth opening to speak, yet no words came out. Roxas, on the other hand, didn't appear to notice her at all as he focused on the more tangible-looking of the people.

The girl wasn't surprised to see us, or at least she didn't show it. In fact, she smiled like she was expecting us. Or just expecting Roxas, as she paid me no mind.

"Roxas," she said, standing from her chair. "You're back." Her smile wasn't one of greeting, though.

I turned and ran back out of the room. That girl, Namine, she talked like she knew too much. I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want anything to do with this anymore. I wasn't even a part to begin with. Roxas just dragged me along in his delusion. If I left now, I could pretend nothing happened. I could pretend I never saw that 'keyblade'. Pretend it was all a dream. I stopped and grabbed the banister at the top of the stairs.

Truth was, I didn't _want_ to leave. It was like the adventure I was seeking, like what me and Miyako fantasized about. It could get us out of this town, even. I wondered what Miyako would think of it.

The front door of the mansion creaked open, signaling someone's entrance. I flinched, preparing to hide, but then blinked a couple times. Maybe, quite possibly, I had been the crazy one all along.

"Miyako?"


	9. 08 5 Hope

[08.5] Hope

I was breathless. Literally and figuratively. Being flipped over your head and onto your back by a girl half your size can do that to you. After the fact, she took off, so I lay there in the middle of the street for a while, attracting stares and hushed voices. Humanity really was something.

My stomach growled loudly, and it took me back to another time when I was laying on the ground, starving to death. Except no one stopped to feed me this time. I sighed loudly and sat upright, startling a group of passing girls. I smiled slightly and gave a small wave, sending them away with whisperings of something about a pervert. I dropped my hand with a frown. It wasn't like I was lying on the ground with the intention of looking up skirts.

Oh right. Something about skirts snapped me from my daydream. Which was odd, as neither Naoki nor Miyako wore skirts. My mind lapsed into thinking what the two would look like in skirts. Miyako was easy enough to picture, as she usually didn't move and much prefered to sit and read. Naoki, on the other hand, was too much of a tomboy. Skirts would definitely be a no-go for her, especially the short ones that other girls seemed to enjoy wearing.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and to my feet, brushing dirt off the seat of my pants. Naoki would be done delivering by now, right? She would usually buy me food, even if I didn't ask. That's just how she was; an indifferent kindness toward everyone. It was a bit painful to think about, the fact that one was no different from another, but even then, that was better than the nothing I had had before.

x x x

Naoki, as it turned out, hadn't even shown up at the little post office in the middle of town. The postal worker didn't seem too concerned, though, grumbling about how _none_ of the 'part-time' kids showed up.

' _Happens all the time with kids, they either forget or find something better to do,'_ he had explained without looking up from his organizing. His tone gave off a feeling of dissatisfaction at working with kids (or maybe working in a rarely-used position in a small town where you could yell down the street and reach the person you're trying to contact), which I didn't blame. But I didn't need to know about your average Kid Joe, I needed to know about Naoki. I left with uneasiness gnawing at my chest. For the little while I had known Naoki, she was periodically late, but she would show up nonetheless. And at this point, it was an hour past when she was s'posed to be _done_.

"Naoki, where are you?" I muttered to myself, walking sullenly back to our usual spot by the train station. Today was turning out to be a rather strange day, and it was barely past noon.


	10. 09 Immersed

[09] Immersed

 _"Miss, would you like to come with me?"_

 _I looked up from where I sat, sheltered under a shop's awning from the sudden shower of rain and growing storm. The umbrella he held was dipped low enough so that I couldn't quite see his face as he extended a gloved hand to me._

 _"I'm trying to go home," I stated, my voice feeling smaller than it should have been, and it was then I noticed how badly I was shaking. I had discarded my coat a few streets back, and already, my thin clothes once beneath it were soaked._

 _"In this deserted place? Unless you were planning on going back." He was vague, but I knew what he meant. I glanced behind him to the behemoth structure still casting its shadow over me. Though it housed familiar faces, that place was the furthest thing from home one could get. I shook my head, and I thought I heard him laugh, but it was drowned out by the rain. "Come with me," he offered gently with his hand held out for me once again, leaning down closer to my crouched figure._

 _And this time, I grasped his hand tightly and was pulled to my feet._

 _"I am DiZ," he introduced himself while he draped what felt like a heavy blanket over my head and shoulders. I flinched at the unexpected contact. For someone without a heart or feelings, I had strangely been on edge ever since stepping out of the castle. "It's protection, to help you through the dark corridor, since you don't seem to have your coat." Again, he chuckled to himself._

 _"Thank you, and my name...is Axken." The final word rolled off my tongue like bile, but I had nothing else to be called. I finally looked up from under the cloak, first noticing the blood red bandages wrapped around DiZ's head, only parted enough to show a single gold eye and a toothy grin. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, another black-coat maybe, and now looking at him in full, I wasn't picturing such heavily adorned and layered clothing._

 _"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Axken. But we must hurry now, it seems your friends have sent out a search party already."_

 _And so, we left, and I never turned back to look at the giant still looming over me._

 _x x x_

 _DiZ lived, or took refuge in, an abandoned mansion on a lonely little world surrounded by water. I was free to roam, as no one apart from DiZ could apparently see me. Yet I didn't have the desire to. The buildings were cramped together and everything was washed in the same sandy color. Trains and trams criss-crossed across the town yet many still walked by foot between the leveled districts. And occasionally, out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw a flash of black clothing or the disappearing tendrils of a Dusk._

 _The only relief from the paranoia and suffocating feeling of the enclosed structures was the beach only accessible by train, and the forest which the mansion lay within. Since my creation, and even before that, I never would have thought I'd find comfort in sun-dappled trails and towering canopies or sandy beaches and endless waves._

 _The days I didn't spend wandering the forest were usually spent in the mansion, where each fractured mirror or broken class case showed me a face I no longer recognized. Since being in the mansion, I had started to fade. I became nearly translucent, and my once-blonde hair turned a light shade of blue to match my eyes. I was still Axken, but my outward appearance was one of someone else.I didn't see much of DiZ, nor did I dare follow him down the staircase hidden in the library. The room beneath held the same air the Castle did, and it only made my stomach turn thinking of that place._

 _After a while of just a fading me and a DiZ I rarely interacted with, there appeared a girl named Namine, who spoke more through her drawings than with her voice. DiZ called her a witch, but she didn't seem like any witch I had pictured. She had an aura about her similar to mine, a Nobody's. My fictional heart twinged at the thought, that one so young had their heart removed in order to create her. Her drawings were a bit abstract, yet the meaning behind spoke volumes. I recognized depictions of other Nobodies, and most of the pictures, I couldn't place a name to, yet they were still familiar._

 _"They're His memories," she once told me, pointing to another drawing, one of a boy floating in a lotus-shaped pod._

 _"Who is he?" I asked, because like many of her pictures, this one held a reminiscent feeling yet no name appeared in my mind. She shook her head solemnly in response, and I couldn't tell if it was because even she didn't know, or because it wasn't for me to know._

 _Soon after that, my own voice faded. I felt like I had been reduced to nothing more than a shadow. DiZ had no answer, but he was too preoccupied with restoring the memories of the boy in the basement than to worry about me disappearing. I wondered why he even picked me up if he was just going to discard me so easily._

 _Namine began adding more figures to her collection of drawings, and I recognized the scenery she used as that of Twilight Town. There was one figure with short red hair, one with slightly longer silver hair, and a third with long black hair. I think I had seen them before, but I had seen many people in the town so it was hard to tell since I wasn't able to interact with any of them._

 _"DiZ says they're important," Namine reiterated when I would curiously peer across the long white table at her, never saying more on the matter. I became fascinated with her drawings of Twilight Town. Besides the new trio, the most recurring imagery was that of three figures in black coats, one with a blaze of red hair that made it easily recognizable, and reignited my false sense of fear every time she drew a new picture of them._

 _And it stayed this way for a while, me silently watching Namine draw away what seemed like many people's precious memories._


End file.
